Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! This is my nephew Parker with his first visit to see Santa..he looks happy doesn't he? I'm so sad I don't get to see him this Christmas, but I'm sure my brother will keep us posted with video's and pictures of him tearing the wrapping paper of his presents! He's changing so much everyday...it shouldn't surprise me but it does. Well this Christmas my family will be doing all the normal traditional holiday events. Last week, we went over to the Huckleberry Railroad and rode the train and froze our butts off. It was fun though. The kids got to give Frosty the Snowman hugs, see Santa and Mrs. Claus, drink some hot chocolate and of course ride the train. They even had a reigndeer there for the kids to pet. It is a Christmas wonderland over there. It's worth visiting if you haven't been before. You're kids will love it. But Dress WARM! I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the time you have with your families! We will see you next YEAR!

Let it snow...again

Oh the weather outside is frightful...well not yet. But we are supposed to get 10 inches of snow between now and tomorrow! That's a lot of shoveling :) If we do, we are not planning on being here tomorrow. Andrew lives an hour away, I live 35 minutes away and Penny and Barb live in the country. This is not a good line up for being to work on time. Most of the time when we get a lot of snow, the country roads don't get plowed and Barb and Penny get snowed in. What a way to spend a Friday...
build a fire, make some hot chocolate with marshmallows and read a book or something like that.

Well, here's to SNOW DAYS!

Photographing photographers

My Good friend Jaime McAllister had me come over to photograph her family and we had a great time. We got a little cold, the noses got runny and the hats came on, but overall we got great images! Jaime found us a great location at an old farm. We had so much to work with! Too bad kids only last SO long. I could have shot there forever. Old cars, hay bales, old barn ruins and cows! What more could you ask for!

To get you in the Christmas Spirit!

Isn't that awesome?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone! Well the day has come to a close and I am heading home for a long weekend with the family! I am very excited to have a few days off so I can get back to my creative side for all those Christmas cards I have to design still. I have a few done and a lot more to do! So bare with me.

I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with your families. Eat a lot and take naps...rest up because the next month is running around, shopping, wrapping, visiting, road trips, cooking, cleaning and eating some more! You'll need your energy up! :)

We will be closed tomorrow and Friday and reopen Monday, so if you need to get a hold of someone just send us an email. I will try to check it sometime this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

LOVE love love this age!

How cute are these socks! (and of course the baby too) Mom was changing little Brady and when I saw these socks, I couldn't resist. I just love it! What a cutie! Brady hung in there with us this morning...he had a lot of outfits to model. I'm sure he's sound asleep now...at least I hope for mom's sake!

Brady and I cuddled up on the blanket while mom gathered their stuff, and he just stole my heart. He has the biggest blue eyes and a killer smile. He's going to be a heart breaker for sure!

Oh how I love the little ones

Mr. I and his family were here today and we had a great time! He and his brother carry the longest eye lashes award for sure. I am so jealous! How come it's always the guys that get those amazing lashes?
Anyway, thanks Mr. I and Mr. B for being such gentlemen while you were here!

Big Day!

Today is Tim's interview to get into PA school! As most of you know it has been a long journey to get to this point and we would really appreciate your thoughts and prayers today. His interview process starts at noon and his one on one interview is at 3:45! I know he will do great!
THanks

Funny Faces Special

The last special of the year is coming up quick! December 3rd is our funny faces special and this one is going to be so much fun! Bring your child in (one child per session) and we will capture all of their crazy expressions. This session is great for panels, a tapestry or even a brag book! Sessions are only $25 and they last up to 30 minutes. We are offering a very special discount on our tapestry of $100 off any size...We offer a 20' 24' or a 30'! These are great to make a statement in your home or a fun collage for your child's room!

Give us a call to schedule your appointment. 989-227-8441 These sessions are not guaranteed to be back before Christmas.

Addition to the family

My Mother in Law got a new puppy last night and she is SO cute! We went to the same place we got our dog, so they are brother and sister. Jake didn't know what to think of the new little one. He towers over her and still runs away when she comes near. I couldn't believe what a coward Jake was last night.
When we went out to the farm to get this little one (she doesn't have a name yet) it was like going back in time 4 years. We drove out to the country in the dark, went out to this little barn and when we opened the door, there were 3 little chocolate labs wagging their tales. Of course we said all the way there that we were only going to look, and we couldn't even get a dog for a couple more weeks. As we walked into the stable where the pups were, we forgot every word that was said. They were so cute...we just melted. The baby talk spewed from our lips and instead of saying "thank you for letting us look" we said "How much!"
It was the best impulse buy we ever made. We love our Jakers and I know that Dianne will love her to be named little one too. Here's to sleepless nights, accidents on the carpet and chew toys!
Welcome to the life of a dog parent!

3X Cute

I just LOVE these 3 little boys! They are so polite and well behaved and did I mention Adorable! Mom, you are very blessed!

Name that Tune!

We have been listening to the 90's XM station today and everyone song is a blast from the past. The 90's were the days of high school and college for Andrew and I, so we have a slight advantage.

Songs like Mmmm Bop by Hanson

OMC's How Bizarre


and SO many more.... :)

Here's an image from the other day. It's been so nice out...I'm bummed it's supposed to rain tomorrow and then get cold. Oh well it's been nice while it lasted.

Holiday deadlines

The Holidays are fast approaching and we wanted to let you know of a few important dates coming up!


November 8th: Last day for Hand Bag orders.

November 13th: Cut off for all portrait sessions.(excluding children's sessions) You must have your portrait session taken by this date to get your images back by Christmas.

November 14th: Welcome to our Winter Wonderland! This day is reserved for our Children's Special. Session fees start at $50 for up to 2 kids and $75 for 3 or more kids. The sessions are 30 minutes long and the images are great for Holiday Cards! Packages are available starting at $99.
Give us a call to reserve your appointment time! 989-227-8441

November 21st: Cut off for Children's sessions. You must have your children's session taken by this date to get your images back by Christmas.

December 1st and 2nd: These days are the last days to get your orders placed for Christmas. We have reserved these days especially your ordering appointments!

We will be closed December 24th thru the new year to celebrate Christmas with our families.

Whew...I think that's everything! :) Give us a call if you have any questions!
Enjoy the great weather!

Happy Halloween!

The goblins, clowns and princesses are out today and we had a great time photographing them! Thanks to everyone who came out for our Halloween special.
It was so fun seeing all the kids dressed up.
Well, I'm off for the annual Palmer Halloween Night. The pupkins are carved, the strobe light is on, the fog machine is running and we are ready to give out tons and tons of candy!

Happy Halloween everyone!
Be safe!

Long time...no blog

It's that busy time of the year that keeps me from keeping the blog updated. Andrew and I were just speaking in Chicago about the importance of updating your blog, and then I have a 2 week absence from my own! BAD...slap on the wrist for me :)

Well the past two weeks have been exciting for me! Tim and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary! I know, it has gone by SO fast. We have had such a great time being married. We are so blessed to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family that keep us grounded and in check. I love that we have relationships with our friends that are open enough for someone to pull me aside and say "Jackie, don't work on a Sunday...spend time with your hubby." I know that someone shouldn't have to tell me that, but every once in awhile my priorities get challenged with business.

Although we haven't traveled to exotic places, lived in a big home, or even had the excitement of having a family, I feel we have been extremely blessed in our 5 years. We just enjoy being around each other...even it's just watching Seinfeld together once we got home from a busy day. It's the simple things that we value.

So simple in fact, that we get excited this time of year just because Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer comes out! I know it's silly, but to us it's the simple things in life that make it fine :)

yummy


The next five years hold a lot of changes for us, and I look foward to each of them. Tim will finish PA school, we want to start a family and will probably move somewhere with some land so we can add to our dog family.

Here's a video my uncle took on our wedding day of our first dance. We practiced a lot, and if you watch closely you can even see Tim counting :)
It's in infrared for some reason

It's that time of year again

Hey all you youngsters...
On October 31st, Halloween day, we are having a day dedicated to Halloween in the Children's Studio! We will be scheduling appointments every 15 minutes...Bring yourself, your costume and your smile! This is for the kids...and yes, you can even have all your kids in one image. Please no babies that can't sit up on their own :)
Packages available are:
2-5x7's and 8 wallets for $25
1-8x10, 2-5x7's and 8 wallets for $35
4-5x7's and 16 wallets for $45
2-8x10's, 4-5x7's and 16 wallets for $65

You can add an extra sheet for $10 too!

Call us NOW to get your appointment time.....and bring that trick or treat bag for some candy!

Up north again...

I went Up North to Boyne City again this weekend and took two of my good photographer friends with me! We had a very relaxing, energizing and creative weekend. Something we could all use.
On Saturday, we had Lindsay come over to do a bridal shoot. Her wedding was a couple weeks ago, so now we could photograph her anywhere and not worry about hurting the dress. Technically this was a TRASH THE DRESS session, but we didn't come close to trashing it.
It was a gorgeous evening and we got SO many gorgeous images. Here are just a few...more to come later!
Linds! Thanks for letting us drag you all over the woods! You are a trooper nd So beautiful!

:)

Love this look :)

Fall is here!

Brrr....it's a little chilly today! Good thing the fall special was last week when it was warmer. I can't even tell you how much fun the fall special was! We picked apples, ran around, stopped on tall grasses, and ate cookies! Who could ask for anything better? We will definately do this again next year!
Thanks to all of you who come out.

Time warp!

The other night I went with my niece to a roller skating party she had with her school. I LOVE roller skating! We walked in and it was like walking back in time. Are all skating rinks the same? I grew up in Texas and when I was a kid, every Friday we would go skating. It was something we always looked foward to. We would pull up to SKATING AMERICA, run to do the door, pull it open and the music and freezing air conditioning would pour out. We couldn't get our skates on fast enough. I had routines to songs like "Thriller and Footloose" and would love to out skate the older kids playing bat chase. It was great! Emma and I got our skates on and worked our way around the rink. It took me a little bit to remember how to balance and work the wheels, but once I got the hang of it, it was like old times. They even played the same songs I was used to. Thriller came on and man it brought me back. Emma held onto my hands as we skated together. She was all smiles, and seemed to really like it! I can't wait to go again. I think we should bring back a skating revolution! Anyone with me :)

Week up north!

I just got back from my week vacation with my family and little Parker. It was so great and I can't explain how wonderful it was seeing Parker and getting to know him. He is such a great baby. He needs to work on sleeping a little bit more, but other than that I think he's perfect! :) He has this little porcelain face, with great big blue eyes. He just lights up when he smiles. The whole family just sat around watching him all week. He was our little entertainer.

It was hard to say goodbye to all of them. I don't get to see my brothers enough that is for sure. It was just wierd thinking that the next time I see Parker, he will be a toddler...I hope he doesn't forget me.

Going to see Parker!

Hey everyone! I'm finishing up a few things here and then I'm off for a week to go spend some much needed time with my brother, his wife and Parker! Parker is already 6 1/2 months old and I haven't even met him yet! I know...let's just say, I'm going to take so many pictures.
Oh...I can't wait!
:)
Here's a little one that I photographed a couple weeks ago...He was such a cutie!

Anthony + Lindsay 9.13.08

Anthony and Lindsay
September 13th, 2008
Traverse City, MI

I was really excited to photograph Anthony and Lindsay's wedding! I have known Lindsay for a couple of years and knew that her wedding would be really fun! Lindsay has a great personality and has a way of making people smile.
Unfortunately the rain came and stayed throughout the day, but it broke for an hour so that we could get the beach images that they both wanted. I love it when things work out that way.
Thanks Lindsay and Anthony for inviting us to be a part of your wedding. I can't wait for our Trash the Dress session!

Friends near and far

My friend Allison Watkins of English Photography in Utah was here visiting this week. She came to speak and hold a SNAP for our local group. She was fantastic!
It was so nice having a new friend around to spend some time with. She stayed at my house for the few days she was here so we had lots of time to chat and catch up on things. She inspired me, made me laugh, made me cry and taught me so much. I miss having that connection with people. I spend so much time working that I tend to miss out on a lot of things. My goal this year is to work on those quality relationships that I may have let slip over the years. Don't get me wrong, I love my clients :) Love love love my clients...but what I learned this week is that my family is not only my family, but my friends are my family too. And they need quality time too.
Have you ever had one of those weeks that you just feel not worthy? This was my week to go hide under the covers and never want to come out. It's amazing how God throws people into your life just at the right time. There is a huge list of people that hugged me at the right time, thanked me, and even complimented me when I was feeling the lowest. Thank you to all of you...I think I'm out of my funk!

We have a wedding this weekend in Traverse City and I'm SO looking forward to it!
I'm going to shoot my heart out even if it is supposed to rain...bring out the umbrellas!

Thanks Allison...you saved me :)

Wasps, Skunks and Dog Hitch Hikers

Man, what a night....
I got home from work last night just to run in and leave again, and when I opened the door there were wasps everywhere! They were swarming in my kitchen and basement!
The previous night Tim had sprayed a nest they had made in the siding of our house. I guess instead of leaving they decided to come in the house :) Yesterday morning, Tim and I saw a couple flying around and we grabbed the vac and swept them up...along with all the dead ones in the window sills. Of course we thought that was the end of it. I took the dog to work just in case. So when we got home and there were around 200 of them flying around...I decided we needed a new plan. Tim is gone for the weekend..so I had to handle it :)
So I went to Home Depot and bought a fogger, came home set 3 of them off, grabbed the dog and my pillow and was off to the in-laws. I had a fun night with the kids, watched a movie and got ready for bed. I took Jake(the dog) out for his potty break and as I was standing by the van, I got a whiff of skunk. "Jake, come here!" No Jake... " Jake COME!" No Jake... So I ran inside and got a flash light and went looking. Finally he came over and yep...he got sprayed! NASTY! And he was supposed to share the bed with me last night. So Jon went to the store and bought some tomato juice and we bathed Jake in a tub that smelled like pasta! It was a pathetic site. I wish I had pics for you...it was funny :) We rinsed him and washed him again with the kids shampoo and he came out smelling like Apples.

I was thinking last night "Usually things happen in 3's, I hope it's only 2 this time." Slept well and when I got up, I took Jake out again. This time he decided to wander. He's was being so bad! He ran across the street and then 2 cars come from both directions. I run out in the street in my PJ's with my hand up yelling STOP like a mad woman and try and grab him. He goes right up to both cars, and stands next to their door like he was trying to hitch a ride...oh my gosh!
Finally, the cars pass and we are heading inside, when he turns around and heads for the road again. There is a car approaching really fast this time and I run as fast as I can screaming NO NO NO! He ran out into the road again and the car luckily sees him and slows down and moves out of his way!
AGGHHH...my heart was racing. I almost cried...#3

Anyway, we made it out alive...the wasps are dead, the dog is not :)

Here are some images from this week. Love these kids!

A little Matilda

I have way to many favorites from this session to post all of them! Morgan was such a trooper as we hiked all over Old Town last night. I was a little nervous at the beginning thinking about all the people around and how she would react. I don't think she even realized anyone else was around. She has grown up SO much since the last time I saw her.
Her mom is a Matilda Jane Trunk Keeper and she brought THE cutest clothes! If you're interested in having a Matilda Jane Party...click the link above to find out more info!
Thanks Paula for such a great night!

Weekends

Weekends that run into the week are what life is all about. It's Thursday and it is my first day back from the weekend! Who-hoo that was nice. Spent the past weekend up north again hanging out with the family. We had our nieces and nephew and their parents up to my parents house in Boyne City. We had great weather, some sailing, a Dog show, sand and sun, and even a couple naps. It was great! I had planned on taking a ton of images of the kids, but they were not in the mood. I had to beg Emma to let me take a few images and right before we left...literally 5 mintues before we got in the car to go home she said, "Ok." So I dressed her up and brought her down the hill and did a few images. Then we were on our way home.



The Real Emma


Monday, my friend Lindsay and I went to Chicago to see the Free to Succeed Tour with David Jay and Jasmine Star. They were great as always and I met a ton of new photographer friends. I'm so glad that we went, even though I am completely exhausted today.
I had a session this morning with Miss Gracie who gave me the energy to keep going. There is something about kids that make me feel really energized. It's great!

Sun Bathing

Tonight I have another shoot and I can't wait!

Andrew and his wife Emily and the kids went up to Silver Lake this weekend. Here is a video of their Jeep ride on the dunes! Even baby was strapped in. Enough to make me sick.